VISIT Krog Street Tunnel: a street art haven

Although not a traditional resource space, the Krog Street Tunnel has become a must-use Eastside message board. Travel along Krog Street between Dekalb Avenue and Wylie Street in the Inman Park/Cabbagetown corridor and you will find a looming tunnel covered in graffiti. At first it may seem like a sign of a bad neighborhood or even an indecipherable mess of fading street art, but look closer. Event planners, bands, neighborhood associations and the like have begun using the walls of this strange tunnel to tell passer-bys about their up and coming events. This tunnel, meant to provide an underpass for Krog Street to pass beneath the railroad tracks and shipping yard, has become an virtual billboard.

In the past year the Tunnel received its most notable nod for the anti- BP campaign that appeared one night after the Gulf oil spill. Other instances of its use as a community board include the yearly announcement of the Cabbagetown community’s Chomp and Stomp chili cook-off and neighborhood celebration, and the recent publicity for Streetella, a celebration of street art hosted by a local arts groups.

Due to the recent crack-down on unwanted graffiti and street art, many feared that the city would ban the free-for-all use of this creative space. City Hall had indicated that the Krog Street tunnel would remain a welcoming beacon for street art of all kind, being officially designated a protected artistic space and therefore being spared from the paint scrubbing task force that is combing the city to rid us of unwanted art. However, more recent announcements hint that the space is actually controlled by the train yard above it, and the decision for its preservation actually resides with the company.

For now this space is free to the public. For the most part, other groups and artists will respect your message and leave it untouched until after any listed event date (if there is no date, people usually allow the message to stand for a few weeks before they replace it with their own statement). Although an unconventional method of advertising, for small organizations or startup companies looking to engage a youthful, Eastside audience, the Krog Street tunnel offers a unique and cheap way to do so. So grab a paint brush or spray paint can and get to work!